Baylor fires head coach Dave Aranda after loss to Kansas
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Baylor fired head coach Dave Aranda in his seventh season after a 25-24 loss to Kansas.
The 2021 Big 12 champion leaves at 40-40 with five games left.
Background
Dave Aranda, 50, was Baylor's head football coach, leading the Big 12 program (a major college conference) through seven seasons. He went 12-2 and won the Big 12 in 2021, but Baylor slipped to 6-7 and 3-9 in the following two seasons, then 8-5 with a Texas Bowl trip in 2024 and 5-7 in 2025. The firing came a day after a last-seconds loss at Kansas dropped the Bears to 4-3.
How it unfolded
- Oct 17, 2026Baylor lost 17-6 to TCU at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas; Aranda took responsibility for the offensive line's play.
- Oct 24, 2026Baylor lost 25-24 at Kansas after a last-seconds field goal was blocked, falling to 4-3.
- Oct 25, 2026Baylor fired Aranda, per reports by On3's Pete Nakos, ESPN's Pete Thamel and CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz.
- recentlyAranda leaves Baylor after 80 games with a 40-40 record; Joe Klanderman takes over as interim head coach with five regular-season games remaining.
Who’s saying what
- Caution
- Aranda said after the Kansas loss that his team got tired and faced 'a team of gadgets and kind of a collection of the hardest plays to defend.'
- Official
- After the TCU loss, Aranda said his offensive linemen had their worst game and that he takes responsibility for the offensive front.
- Support
- Aranda credited his defensive line with its best game of the year against TCU, saying he wished the team had gotten a win from those efforts.
Still unverified
The firing was reported by On3's Pete Nakos, ESPN's Pete Thamel and CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz, and The Athletic cited a source who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the decision.